Killegray
| Scottish Gaelic name | Ceileagraigh |
|---|---|
| Old Norse name | kjallard-øy |
| Meaning of name | Old Norse: graveyard island |
Killegray from the southeast with the heights of Ceapabhal on Harris beyond | |
| Location | |
Killegray Killegray shown within the Outer Hebrides | |
| OS grid reference | NF976836 |
| Coordinates | 57°44′N 7°05′W / 57.74°N 7.08°W |
| Physical geography | |
| Island group | Outer Hebrides |
| Area | 176 ha (11⁄16 sq mi) |
| Area rank | 117 [1] |
| Highest elevation | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Administration | |
| Council area | Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
| Country | Scotland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1 |
| References | [2][3][4] |
Killegray is an island in the Sound of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
Geography
Situated in the Sound of Harris, a channel of water between North Uist and the Isle of Harris, Killegray is approximately 1+1⁄2 miles (2.5 kilometres) long.
The south end of the island is nearly all deep uncultivated moss. There is better cultivated land at the north.[5]
History
Rubha Claidhe in the north is the site of a ruined chapel, Teampull na h-Annait, which may be the origin of the island's name.[4]
The island was occupied by a family of around three to eight people from 1841 to 1931. Two people were living on the island when the 1971 census was taken.[4] The 19th-century Killegray House, the only house on the island, was renovated as holiday accommodation in 1991.[5] No inhabitants were recorded as living there in 2011, [6] but in the census of 2022 a population of one was returned.[2]
Wildlife
The shallow waters and reefs are a rich breeding ground for velvet crabs and lobsters.[4]
Possible development
Jacobs Babtie has investigated building a combination of bridges and causeways across the Sound of Harris.[7] Wind turbines and tidal generators could be incorporated in the scheme from Berneray via Killegray and Ensay to Harris.[8] The estimated cost of £75 million could rise to £145 million with the renewable energy devices.
Notes and references
- ^ Area and population ranks: there are c. 300 islands over 20 ha in extent. 93 permanently inhabited islands were listed in the 2011 census and 101 such islands in 2022.
- ^ a b "Scottish Islands Data Dashboard". RESAS/Scottish Government. 2025. p. 6. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ Ordnance Survey. OS Maps Online (Map). 1:25,000. Leisure.
- ^ a b c d Haswell-Smith, Hamish (2004). The Scottish Islands. Edinburgh: Canongate. pp. 264–66. ISBN 978-1-84195-454-7.
- ^ a b "Historical perspective for Killegray". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
- ^ National Records of Scotland (15 August 2013). "Appendix 2: Population and households on Scotland's Inhabited Islands" (PDF). Statistical Bulletin: 2011 Census: First Results on Population and Household Estimates for Scotland Release 1C (Part Two) (PDF) (Report). SG/2013/126. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- ^ John Ross (19 August 2006). "Eco-power plan to boost islands link". The Scotsman. Archived from the original on 22 August 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
- ^ "Feasibility of Renewable Energy to fund Western Isles link" (pdf). Metoc. 30 November 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
57°44.4′N 7°4.9′W / 57.7400°N 7.0817°W